


Between Two Fires

by Zerrah



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Dark, Alternate Universe - Voldemort Wins, Dark, Dom/sub, F/M, Imprisonment, Non-Consensual Oral Sex, Ownership, Rape/Non-con Elements, Sexual Slavery, Slavery, Spoilers, Torture, Verbal Humiliation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:01:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23978617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zerrah/pseuds/Zerrah
Summary: “Your side has fallen, my dear.” His smile reached his eyes. Hermione shivered. “The Boy Who Lived is dead. This is, I’m afraid, only the beginning.”
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Lucius Malfoy, Hermione Granger/Severus Snape, Hermione Granger/Severus Snape/Ginny Weasley, Severus Snape/Ginny Weasley
Comments: 32
Kudos: 123





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Heed the warnings. In this story Voldemort won, so there will be rape, violence, and very dark situations. Please do not read if this will trigger you.
> 
> Despite this chapter and listed pairings, this will be a Snape/Hermione/Ginny story overall. My OTP is Snape/Ginny, but I also enjoy dark, Voldemort-won Snape/Hermione stories. I was curious to read or write a story where he acquires both of them. 
> 
> This Snape will be much darker and morally ambiguous than how I've written him in the past.

The Death Eater symbol coalesced above her and took over the sky, cast in a red glow. The jaw of the skull wavered and seemed to laugh at her. Terror spiked through Hermione. No. It couldn’t be. 

She stood at the top of a hill near the edge of the Great Forest and looked up at Hogwarts. Her mind was fixated on Harry and Ron. They were probably either fighting against Voldemort, or in case the war had turned tides, in hiding. Her skin prickled. 

“Get a grip, Hermione,” she whispered to herself. “We’re so close. I just need to find them.”

She sprinted down the hill and through the dark woods. 

Near a clearing, there were piles of clothing that, as she came closer, Hermione realized were dead bodies. Her fear spiraled and made her head spin, tasting acidic. Down below, a witch looked like she was struggling, getting pushed to and fro, and encircled by three larger wizards.

“Get  _ away from me!” _ she cried, and Hermione recognized the voice as Ginny’s. “Stop it! I’ll hex your balls off!”

Raucous laughter, and Hermione’s stomach dropped. “She’s fiery for being so tiny.”

“What are you going to do with a broken wand?” another jeered. 

One grabbed a fistfull of Ginny’s bright red hair, and she shrieked. 

“You lost, witch. Now we get to take what we want,” he laughed. His mouth descended, and Hermione gasped. He was kissing her and groping her breast with his other hand. His intentions couldn’t have been more clear. 

Hermione didn’t have time to think. She had to stop them before they hurt Ginny!

“ _ Expelliarmus!”  _ Hermione cried, and watched the wands fly out of the hands of Ginny’s attackers. She could only make out two expressions in the darkness, and they seemed shocked.  _ “Accio wands!” _

Three wands collided with her palm, and she ran forward, determined to save her friend.

As she sprinted toward the clearing, she only heard the incantation to her left when it was too late. Something made her trip and she skidded face forward down the hill. She grimaced as the hard earth bruised her skin, knocking the wind out of her. Their wands, along with her own, flew out of her hands.

Hermione curled in a ball, groaning. Footsteps approached, and she struggled to look up to confront her assailant. 

“How perfect!” an amused voice drawled. “The filthy mudblood. You must be quite the masochist, my dear, to keep coming back for more pain.” 

Her eyes managed to focus on the sneering features of Lucius Malfoy before he let out an imperius,  _ “Crucio!” _

Hermione shrieked. She had been tortured in the Malfoy mansion repeatedly, but no amount of  _ crucios  _ could ever prepare her for the agony of the curse. As if every cell in her body had caught fire, or getting stabbed by countless steel knives. She screamed and screamed.

Her vision turned black, but they refused to let her slip into unconsciousness. A hard boot connected with her stomach, forcing her awake. She struggled for breath, the air knocked out of her for the second time. 

Her gaze darted around. She saw four pairs of legs encircling her. A few feet away, Ginny lay on the ground, her top gone, exposing a frilly white bra. She was bound by invisible cords and wasn’t moving, but her wide, frightened eyes stared at Hermione.

“I want to use her,” a gruff voice said. She didn’t recognize the features of the Death Eater. 

Lucius chuckled. “I suppose if we do this quickly, the Dark Lord wouldn’t mind. He wants us to round up the survivors, but if we’re gone too long, I’m sure there will be consequences. Especially with this particular prisoner.” Lucius pressed his boot down on Hermione’s shoulder so that she was fully on her back, her hair falling away from her face. He dug his heel, grinding the bones under his foot, and she winced. 

One of the Death Eaters was already loosening his belt. Hermione’s stomach twisted. 

Lucius crouched down; his eyes were half lidded, as if he were already bored with their conversation. Except he was smirking. 

“Draco told me you were smart,” he said coolly. “If you’re a good little Mudblood and suck our cocks without resisting, we won’t torture or rape you. For now. Do you agree?”

Hermione scowled and sucked in a breath to tell him off, but Lucius easily cut her off. 

“Your side has fallen, my dear.” His smile reached his eyes. Hermione shivered. “The Boy Who Lived is dead. This is, I’m afraid, only the beginning.” 

“No! Harry!”  _ He’s lying! _ Her mind reasoned frantically.  _ He’s a Death Eater! He has every reason to lie to me!  _ Still, a pain bloomed in her chest, and tears spilled down her cheeks. 

“Lucius, let me go first...”

He snorted. “This  _ teenager  _ disarmed the three of you, grown men, and took your wands within seconds. If I hadn’t been here, who knows what would have happened.” His lip curled. “You’ll have her when I’m done.”

Lucius grabbed a handful of her curls and dragged her to her knees. He unbuttoned his pants.  _ Do pureblood families not wear underwear?  _ Hermione wondered dryly, feeling increasingly disconnected from what was happening. Lucius was half erect and only inches from her face. Hermione stared, watched pink tip form a clear droplet. 

“Enough looking.” his voice had gone husky. He grabbed the back of her head and pressed his cock against her lips. They parted, but Hermione couldn’t bring herself to unclench her teeth. 

_ “Relaxat Nervi,”  _ he muttered under his breath, and Hermione was horrified to feel the muscles in her jaw relax on their own. She couldn’t get them to contract or close her jaw. Lucius easily slipped past her lips. 

He let out a relieved breath. Hermione froze in shock. Lucius was not small, and he pushed until his blonde pubic hair tickled her nose. He felt too big for her mouth, the silky heat growing harder against her tongue. She smelled something musky, filling her with disgust. 

She squealed, wishing she could speak, and Lucius groaned. That promptly quieted her. She didn’t want to do anything that would add to his pleasure. Terror and disgust made her skin crawl.

In a way, however, he was right. Wouldn’t it make more sense just to go along with this? If she resisted, they would just torture her and rape her anyway. Her mind drifted to the object in her pocket...but she refused to do anything until she could help Ginny, too! Hermione longed for her wand, her skin burning with desperate desire for it.

Lucius groaned again as she swallowed, her throat working as she tried not to choke on her own spit. Caressing the back of her skull in an unshakable grip, he moved in and out of her mouth gradually, staring down at her with a dangerous light in his eyes. 

“I always knew I’d have you like this, on your knees,” he whispered. “Taking my cock with your filthy mudblood mouth.”

Hermione stared back, frozen in fear, feeling vulnerable. There was nothing she could do to stop this.

“I dreamed of doing this when Bellatrix had you, but Narcissa was there,” he said breathlessly, his movements picked up, gliding over her tongue. Tears began to leak again down Hermione’s cheeks. “Thought of all the things I would do to that impudent mouth of yours.”

Her hands came up to Lucius’s knees, but she refused to push him away. Not when both her and Ginny’s life counted on her compliance. She squeezed her eyes shut.

Every punctuation of his hips led to a groan of pleasure. The sloppy sound of Lucius using her mouth filled the air. One of the other Death Eaters chuckled. 

“I would have fucked that tight cunt,” Lucius drawled. “Used Imperius to make you ride my cock until your cunt was raw and red.”

Lucius held her head still and started plowing into her mouth. It was hitting the back of Hermione’s throat, which was unbearable and made her gag. Her eyes burned. She couldn’t help but open them, and noticed a Death Eater to her left was stroking himself as he watched her get violated. Lucius was still staring down at her intently, but his eyes were now glazed over.

“Would have licked and sucked you until you begged me to stop. For hours.” He laughed in triumph. 

Hermione struggled to breathe, but it was mercifully over soon. After a few more minutes of Lucius’s groans, he pulled her head close until her lips encircled the base of his cock, and stilled. Hot fluid squirted down her throat. With the alternative being choking, Hermione swallowed every drop, throat working around the head of his cock. Lucius made a wretched sound and finally released his grip. Hermione flinched as she felt something hot and wet; one of the Death Eaters had come on the side of her face. 

Hermione braced her hand on the ground and coughed, her diaphragm contracting as she dry heaved. She almost vomited, but her stomach was empty. The Death Eaters laughed around her. 

She couldn’t close her jaw, and her words came out in an inarticulate slur until Lucius ended his spell with the flick of his wand. 

“My turn,” one of her attackers said darkly. They had finally broken up their circle, giving Hermione the opportunity she needed. 

_ “Accio wand!”  _ she cried as she dodged past one of her attackers. He lunged for her, and she swooped away from his arms. Her wand slapped into her palm just as she reached Ginny, who was still frozen on the ground. One hand touched Ginny’s shoulder as the other reached into her pocket. Her failsafe, just in case everything went wrong and her, Harry, and Ron had to escape. Except that everything had turned out so much worse than she had ever expected.

Hermione felt the tug below her navel, and she heard Lucius curse behind her as the Portkey transported them to safety. Everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It goes without saying, I think, but us writers love to get kudos and feedback! It inspires us to keep going. Tbh I've been wondering if I should invest more time in my original work.
> 
> Changed the title from "Not Fair" to "Between Two Fires," although I'm still torn between the two. Do you have a favorite?

She fell to the earth, knees collapsing to dewy grass. A soft thud to her right told her that Ginny had landed with her. For several minutes, all Hermione could do was dry heave, unable to hold onto a single though. The disgustingly smooth warmth of Malfoy’s penis felt like it was still pressed inside her mouth. No amount of spitting or coughing could erase the sensation even though the...incident was over. 

_“Scourgify!”_ she said desperately. The bile and musk were banished from her mouth, but still the feeling lingered on her tongue. _“Scourgify! Scourgify!”_

Hermione took deep breaths of air, her shoulders slumped forward, feeling vulnerable and violated. Eventually, she looked over her shoulder. Ginny was imobile, but her eyes were red, her nose ruddy like she had been crying. She was looking at Hermione earnestly. 

“ _Finite Incantatem,”_ Hermione whispered, and suddenly Ginny could move again. She immediately shifted closer and threw her arms around Hermione’s shoulders.

“Hermione, I’m _so sorry,”_ she cried, and began to quietly sob.

Hermione shivered, but couldn’t bring herself to cry. Her skin prickled with disgust, but it was rapidly replaced with a numbness. Still, her body wouldn’t stop trembling.

They remained like that, Hermione slouched over, Ginny clinging to her and crying, for a long time. The darkness was like a blanket that muffled their cries and despair. An owl hooted somewhere nearby. The sweet smell of blooming flowers filled her nose. Eventually, Hermione reached up and took Ginny’s hand, squeezing tightly. 

Ginny sniffed. “Do you...do you think they were telling the truth?”

Hermione’s voice shook. “I don’t know. We...I don’t think so, but we can’t go back to check…” Her eyes slid shut. Of course they should check, but the thought of returning to the castle…

“Where are we?”

“The edge of Hogsmeade. I thought...I wanted to…” She had planned to use the portkey with Harry and Ron to escape, just in case. “Ginny, can you apparate?” 

Ginny’s gaze dropped to the ground, her brown eyes becoming misty again. “No. We were supposed to learn this year, but the Death Eaters weren’t exactly taking our curriculum seriously.”

Hermione sighed. That would make things so much harder. She had chosen this location because she had expected to be with Ron and Harry, who could both apparate as soon as they were at a safe distance away from Hogwarts. She wouldn’t tell Ginny that, of course, because she didn’t want to discourage the younger witch. “Okay, so we just need something to disguise ourselves…” A charm might be traced and easily removed by a wizard, and they didn’t have Polyjuice. Instead, Hermione took off her thin jacket. “We can transfigure our clothes to hide our appearance.”

Ginny’s thin arms crossed over her stomach. She was still bare from the waist up except for the bra. She wore a black skirt, but there wasn’t much clothing to work with. 

Then Hermione remembered. She pulled Ron’s handkerchief out of her pocket, her heart aching. _Please be safe,_ she silently prayed to whatever god was listening. _Please be hiding somewhere until this is all over._

With a flick of her wand, the red handkerchief transfigured into a top, the golden ‘R’ now emblazoned in the center. Ginny took it with a grateful, but sad half-smile. 

“Thank you. Did this belong to Ron? It looks like something Mum would make for us…”

“Yes,” Hermione whispered.

“I hope he’s okay.” Ginny wiped away tears with the palm of her hand.

“So do I.” 

Hermione proceeded silently, transfiguring her jacket into a thick cloak with a hood. The only spare bit of clothing was Ginny’s stockings, which she removed and gave to Hermione after explaining the group with Lucius broke her wand. Hermione tried to replicate her own cloak, but the texture was thinner, flowing in the wind. She was able to make it opaque enough to protect Ginny’s identity at least. Ginny took the new, gossamer robes, draping it over her shoulders. 

They both gasped when a blue dragon slithered into the clearing. The figure was translucent but still gave off a grande presence, with large wings and an elegant, long neck. Hermione relaxed when she recognized the dragon as a patronus, but immediately tensed again when she heard its words. 

**“Harry Potter is dead and the Order has fallen. Please stay safe, Ginny! Whatever you do, don’t come to the Burrow or any former Order home. They’ll find you there. Stay in hiding, I’ll come looking for you!”**

The patronus vanished in a wisp of smoke. 

“No! NO! Harry!” Ginny cried, collapsing to her knees. She covered her face with her hands and sobbed. 

Hermione’s mind was completely blank. She was frozen, horror and pain trapped in her chest and head. “No…”

The harrowing sound of the wind blowing through the trees twined with Ginny’s weeping. It filled the silence for a long time.

Finally, Hermione asked, “who sent the patronus?” 

Ginny sniffed, getting shakily to her feet. “Charlie. He was on the battlefield earlier, so he probably saw what happened. I’m glad he’s okay…”

“So he knows that Harry is dead,” Hermione said softly. The pain was growing in her chest, so heavy that her shoulders caved forward. 

“I can’t believe it.” Ginny shook her head. “This can’t be happening. No way Voldemort really won!”

Hermione sighed. “Regardless, we can’t stay here.” She pulled the hood over her head, and Ginny took the hint and followed suit. “It’s too dangerous.”

Hermione looked nervously at Ginny. At a distance, her red hair would stand out. Of course, Hermione knew that she was the most reviled, being best friends with Harry and a Muggleborn to boot. 

Ginny had dark circles under her eyes that looked worse against her pale skin. Her eyes were bloodshot. “Do you think this will work?”

“I can’t think of any other options.” Hermione sighed. “Our safest bet is escaping to America. Voldemort hasn’t taken over the world…yet. Maybe we can hide while searching for an unregulated Floo network.” 

Ginny frowned, her lips twisting down. “What about my brothers and parents? I can’t give up on them. Some of them may still be alive!”

Hermione’s fingers curled around the edges of her hood, fingernails digging into her palms. “We can’t help them if we’re captured or dead.”

Ginny turned away from Hermione, and her hood shifted as she shook her head. “No. I can’t leave them behind. You go.”

Fear prickled through Hermione’s stomach, squeezing her throat. “We shouldn’t separate. That would be even more dangerous…”

Ginny snorted. “More dangerous than what we’ve already been through? We lost, Hermione! What if Fred or Charles or Mum and Dad are out there, alone? What about Ron?!”

Hermione hesitated. Her mind gravitated to her parents. She knew they wouldn’t worry about her because they were obliviated, but still...were any Muggles in Britain safe now? 

“Besides, Charlie told me he’d look for me. He’ll probably try to find me near Hogwarts.”

“Okay,” Hermione said reluctantly. “Maybe we can hide somewhere in Hogsmeade. If it seems safe.”

Ginny smiled tearfully. “Thank you.”

Hermione didn’t reply, only nodded. She missed having Ron’s handkerchief in her pocket. She would have held it for comfort, maybe brought the cloth to her nose to remind her of Ron, the brief times last summer at the Burrow before Harry arrived when they would just lay together in an embrace. Cozy summer afternoons. He smelled like dragonsblood, likely from his soap, and something earthy. Her heart seized. _Oh God, Harry! Please, please, please be okay, Ron!_

They trudged through the forest, Hermione casting a Notice-Me-Not spell just in case, although she wasn’t sure how much it would help against this adversary. Hogsmeade came into view after a few minutes. The streets were eerily quiet and empty. Her skin prickled with mounting concern. 

“Do you think we could hide at The Three Broomsticks? Maybe Rosmerta is there.” Ginny whispered.

“Maybe.” Her heart fluttered. “This doesn’t look safe.”

Ginny nodded slowly. “I know what you mean. Is there anything nearby?” 

“I don’t think so.” Dread and panic coursed through her and Hermione took deep breaths, instructing herself not to flee. It was so difficult to think clearly. “Maybe we can check the Floo network at The Three Broomsticks, and leave quickly if we see any Death Eaters.”

“Okay.” Ginny grimaced. “If the Floo was infiltrated though, it won’t be safe, Hermione.”

Her ears were pounding. _Breathe,_ she reminded herself. “You’re right. But this could be our last chance to get to it before Voldemort does.”

Ginny nodded. “That makes sense.”

“Maybe we could find a nearby town to Floo to, and gather more information while we hide among Muggles. Then we could wait for Charlie and try to find other survivors.” She left unspoken, however, that eventually living among the Muggles would not be safe because of Voldemort’s agenda. Hopefully, this would only be temporary. 

“That’s a good idea.”

“Okay...let’s go then.” Drawing on Gryffindor courage, she stepped forward, pulling her cloak close, and Ginny followed. The streets were completely empty, and Hermione felt uncomfortable under the streetlights, wishing she could hide in the shadows. The windows above the shops were dark, and she felt a pervasive fear, knowing that there could be Death Eaters gazing down at them. The Three Broomsticks was luckily only a few yards away, but there was light filtering through the windows. Hermione approached cautiously, peeking through the window.

Fenrir Greyback was in the center of the room, illuminated by the fireplace, with a wide smirk on his face. There were four other Deatheaters standing around with masks, and a group of terrified students kneeling on the floor. 

Her stomach dropped. “Ginny,” Hermione cried, “I think we’re too late!”

“In more ways than you can possibly know,” a familiar voice said behind them, and Hermione screamed as a hand grabbed her shoulder. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn, guys. This is getting DARK. This chapter includes torture. Turn back now if that triggers you! I may need to update the tags.
> 
> Also, perspective shift! The perspective will shift between Hermione and Ginny throughout the story.

Ginny licked her lips, tasting the sweet, metallic flavor of blood, and absently brought her fingers to her mouth before looking down. Even in the dim street, she could see that her fingers were still pale, so the blood wasn’t visible. Perhaps she had bitten her tongue, or the inside of her lip. Her gaze lifted again to the spectacle through the window. Hogwarts students cowering on the ground, men in black Death Eater masks looming around them. 

She felt numb. 

“Ginny!” Hermione’s voice quivered, and Ginny’s stomach turned with mutual fear. “I think we’re too late!”

“In more ways than you can possibly know,” a voice said behind them. Ginny jumped when a hand settled on her right shoulder, grimacing as Hermione screamed. Her heart sank when the people inside the Hogsmeade turned their heads to their direction. They were caught! 

Her mind went blank, but she reacted with the kinesthetic memory of living for years with six older brothers. She formed a fist and jabbed her elbow back, cutting through robes until she connected with a firm stomach. There was a sharp intake of breath, and the hand fell off her shoulders.

“Hermione, run!”

Ginny reflexively grabbed a handful of Hermione’s robes as she spun to her right, sprinting with all her might and tugging her friend. Luckily, Hermione responded quickly, falling into step right behind her. 

_ “Stupefy!”  _

Ginny collapsed to the ground, the impact knocking the wind out of her. The clammy stone streets cooled her cheek. There was a  _ thud  _ behind her, a weight across her leg, probably one of Hermione’s arms. 

Ginny’s eyes burned with unshed tears. How could she have been so stupid? She didn’t have a wand. Her only options were stealing one from an enemy, or borrowing one from an ally. 

But there were so many Death Eaters against just the two of them. Just like what happened with Lucius…

Sometimes it was just safer to run. 

The spell felt heavy on her limbs, making it difficult to even draw breath. Like a 50 pound weight on every limb. The dark street seemed deceptively peaceful, and the empty storefronts filled her vision because she couldn’t look away.

“Rather disappointing,” came a haughty cadence, although he did sound mildly discontent. And his voice was so familiar, Ginny’s stomach turned; she didn’t want to know--or acknowledge--who it would be. “And here I thought you were smarter than this.”

The weight shifted off Ginny’s leg, and she understood that he was probably referring to Hermione. Ginny liked to think she was smart and she performed well enough in school, but she certainly wasn’t exceptional. 

“Snape,” came the bark behind them, and Ginny’s hair stood on end, the chill filling her stomach, ballooning until it tickled her skin. Her eyes would have widened if she could move them at all. “Bring them here. Bring ‘em inside. We’ll teach them a lesson.”

“That isn’t up for you or I to decide.” Her former Potions Professor replied coolly. “The Dark Lord will want to know who we’ve caught here. I’ll bring them back to Hogwarts.” Then an offhanded, “ _ Levitate,”  _ and she was floating, her hair dangling in the air, brushing across her lips and cheek. Ginny swallowed, wishing desperately to scream, but her body wouldn’t respond to the commands of her conscious mind. The shop windows shifted as she moved.

A few heartbeats later, a gruff voice called out, “Snape. Bring them inside now.” And she stopped moving. 

A pause. Then, “Fenrir. I follow the Dark Lord’s command.” Fenrir Greyback?! The man who attacked and scarred her brother for life! Conflicting emotions warred within her, terror making her freeze, and rage melting it away, setting her senses on fire. 

“Fe...Fen…” Ginny managed to whisper, struggling against the constrictions of the spell. So low that Ginny barely heard it:  _ “Silence!” _

“You don’t get to decide what the Dark Lord desires.” There was a dangerous edge to Greyback’s words. “He gave us free reign to destroy and plunder, and the only person who was off limits was Harry Potter.”

Snape cleared his throat, and when he spoke, the tone was equally menacing. “If you must know then, I’m doing what  _ I  _ desire, you mangy cur!”

A snort. “And what would that be?”

“Something I don’t want an audience for.” A hand carded through Ginny’s hair, but then tugged hard. Her scalp hurt, and her eyes watered, blurring her vision. 

“Well then. Bring them in for a little fun and games. Then you can take them off to do what you wish. We won’t mutilate them. Promise.” Ginny could almost see Fenrir’s dark smile.

After a long pause, she began to float in the other direction, and Ginny silently cursed to herself.  _ Of all people to catch us! That traitor, _ Ginny thought bitterly. And what exactly did the man who killed Dumbledore want to do alone with Hermione and Ginny? If he had taken them away though, at least they might have been able to overpower him, maybe even convince him to let them go. As unlikely as that would be. 

Once inside, they were dropped unceremoniously to the wooden floor, and Ginny heard,  _ “Rennervate.”  _ As soon as the spell lifted, Ginny scrambled to her feet. 

Ginny noted that there were five students on their hands and knees in a little circle in front of the fireplace. The fire was low and filled the room with a reddish tint. Two of the students stared unabashedly at Ginny with wide, frightened eyes. One was gazing down at the floor, his arms that were propping him up shaking terribly. Was he terrified, weak, injured? A blonde girl was weeping softly. They looked to be from fifth year and older, although Ginny didn’t really recognize any of them, and wasn’t surprised that they wore blue and yellow robes of other Houses.

Fenrir dropped back into a grey armchair with a contented grunt. Four other Death Eaters lingered around in a wider circle. Most wore masks. 

A finger curled around her elbow, jolting her out of her scrutiny. She scowled, and unsuccessfully tugged her arm away. She glared at Fenrir. 

“Five adults against a handful of students. Those are cowardly odds,” Ginny remarked, the words coming from a brazen place within her that had gotten her into--and admittedly out of--lots of trouble over the years. “Most of you can’t even face us without your masks.” 

“Ginny,” Hermione whispered, but she ignored it, refusing to make eye contact with her friend. If she was going to be punished for speaking the truth, Ginny didn’t want to draw attention to her. 

“Bill mentioned how ugly you were,” Ginny sneered, “but it’s really something else to see it in person. Do you torture muggles by showing them your face?”

Total silence. The blonde student was still crying, but all four other captives stared at her. Snape’s claws dug into the soft skin of her inner arm, but she refused to react. Ginny maintained eye contact with Greyback, daring him to reply.

A rumbling sound, like coughing. Was he clearing his throat? Ginny’s heart skipped a beat. The sound grew louder, however, and Ginny realized with indignant rage that the werewolf was  _ laughing  _ at her. He threw back his head, his fingers gripping the arms of the chair, like he found Ginny’s words hysterical. The deep, booming sound filled the room.

“Oh, I like you,” Fenrir managed to wheeze out. “That was bloody fuckin’ funny!” 

The other Death Eaters were still eerily silent. Hermione was chewing her bottom lip, dark circles under her eyes that made her look exhausted, her hair frizzy and matted. 

Ginny finally glanced at Snape. Being so close to him made her skin prickle. Anger, terror, confusion rose in unison, vying for control of her emotions. He was still holding her arm, but his gaze was trained on Greyback. Lank hair framed harsh features, a large beak for a nose and dark eyes, like two pools of ink. His brows were furrowed as he took in the other Death Eater’s reaction. 

Was Fenrir Snape’s enemy? That would make sense, Ginny thought bitterly. Like a pit of snakes, always ready to bite each other.

Eventually, Greyback's laughter devolved into real coughs, raspy and grating. He clutched his chest, and spit on the floor. The boy with Ravenclaw blue robes closest to Fenrir recoiled. 

Greyback motioned with his hand. “Come here,” he demanded. 

Ginny narrowed her eyes. “No.”

He made a noise suspiciously like a growl. “I won’t ask twice.” 

“You don’t scare me.” 

Snape released her arm. She looked at him in surprise, but he only sneered down at her. 

“I have very little expectations for you, Weasley,” Snape drawled, low enough that she could barely hear. “But if you continue down this path, I expect we will be burying you next to your brother tonight. Perhaps even Potter himself.”

She bristled, shocked by his words, but her reply was cut off by a,  _ “Crucio”  _ across the room.

Ginny fell to the floor, the pain flooding her senses, so overwhelming that the scream died in her throat, snuffed out. She spasmed on the floor, Snape and Fenrir and Hermione and dead friends and family forgotten. The only thing that existed was this excruciating torment. Time melted away, she couldn’t think, could barely breathe. 

Finally, it ended abruptly. Ginny whimpered, splayed out on the floor. She was scared to move, as if that would invite the pain again. 

“Now, as I was saying.” Ginny heard boots clicking on the floor. “Come here, little vixen.” 

Tears flooded her eyes, dripping down the sides of her face. “N-no…” Harry came to mind. She couldn’t give in! She wouldn’t. These wizards had killed her only love, her family! 

_ “Crucio.” _

This time, Ginny did scream. She screamed until her vocal cords felt like they snapped. She screamed for them to stop. She screamed for help. She screamed for her mother.

It didn’t end. 

Several cycles of  _ Crucio  _ and Greyback making demands. Ginny was eventually reduced to incoherent babbling. She didn’t care that she had an audience. They didn’t exist next to this pain.

Something broke. 

As if he could sense this, Greyback paused in his torture. 

“Now. crawl to me.”

Ginny couldn’t stop shaking. The fight had been purged from her. She would do anything to end the pain now. With great effort, in part because her muscles continued to spasm, she shifted to her hands and knees. Saw Fenrir sitting in that same chair. And began to crawl. 

Her body ached, but she forced one hand and foot forward before the next, dragging over to the fireplace. The back of her neck prickled from the weight of more than ten sets of eyes on her. 

Finally, she was before him. Staring at his boots. The dark brown leather scuffed and scratched at the points. 

A hand wrapped around her hair and tugged down, so that Ginny was staring at a face that was indeed ugly. Leathery and thick, with a mishmash of scars, and deep wrinkles around his mouth and across his brow. The only attractive feature were hazel eyes, but they radiated cold fury, and glittered with insanity. 

“I could turn you just like that, girl.” He shook her. “Turn you into a bloodthirsty monster, like your brother. How would you like to roam the woods during the full moon, eating up wretched muggles?”

Those words horrified Ginny into silence. Her shoulders hunched over. 

He shoved Ginny down to his feet, and pushed out a shoe to her direction.

“Kiss it.”

She did just that, pressing her lips briefly on his right shoe, and tried to ignore the flare of shame. 

Fenrir laughed again, loud and full, making Ginny’s skin crawl. She felt disgusted. 

“She does take orders after all! The lions can be tamed,” he laughed. 

“And now, for your next trick…”

The fireplace turned a shade of green, and Lucius strode into the room. He raised a haughty eyebrow, smirking at Ginny’s position on the floor. 

“I wondered where you ran off to,” he mentioned casually, as if he hadn’t been too bothered by Ginny and Hermione’s escape, or had expected they would be captured again. He turned to Fenrir.

“The Dark Lord demands our return. There has been another wave of attacks against Hogwarts, this time led by some rebellious department heads in the Ministry.”

Fenrir immediately stood up and kicked Ginny away. She yelped, curling into a ball. 

“What are we supposed to do with these prisoners?”

“Kill them, or bring them as captives back to base for later.” The word, ‘later,’ was stressed, ladened with meaning. 

“Definitely save this one, though. Ah, Severus. You found my favorite.” A malicious smile. “Bring her back now.”

“Of course, Lucius,” came the silky reply. “As the Dark Lord commands.” 

She was being moved again by a spell she hadn’t heard, but this time, Ginny didn’t care. 

She just wanted the night to end. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seriously considered having another character find Ginny and Hermione because I thought Snape would be too predictable, but I didn't want to too much time to pass before introducing him to the story. Also, it seems that every writer feels the need to subvert expectations post-Game of Thrones, and that can get pretty annoying.


End file.
